


What Was Lost Can Always Be Found (But Never As It Was)

by Windona



Category: Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Episode: s07e20 Arctic, Gen, Haunting, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Temporary Character Death, What-If, post episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-25
Packaged: 2020-03-17 11:55:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18964738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windona/pseuds/Windona
Summary: Chloe, Lois, and Oliver search for Clark after he disappeared in the Arctic, confident he's out there somewhere.But Lex knows better. After all, Lex is being haunted by Clark's ghost.Meanwhile, a mysterious blur shows up in Metropolis.





	What Was Lost Can Always Be Found (But Never As It Was)

_ The orb activated. _

_ Programs within the Fortress of Solitude react wildly. Kal-El had refused to kill humans or conquer them. The Orb’s purpose was to control Kal-El if he became a danger to the planet.  _

_ The paradox was tearing the Fortress apart. As a deeply buried anti-virus was activated to take care of the issue, Kal-El was gravely injured. _

_ The situation had to be rectified.  _

_ The power crystal was used to rebuild the Fortress far away, in a safe location, and Kal-El’s body was placed inside. _

_ Perhaps it was too late. But the latent Val-El AI was activated anyway. Perhaps Kryptonian technology and biology could fix things. _

 

* * *

Lex sipped his scotch, savoring the taste now that he no longer needed to worry about any medication or the like being interfered with. The joys of a healing factor made recovering from his broken arm and mild concussion much easier than it would have been for others.

His hand involuntarily squeezed the glass. He paused, and slowly unclenched. It was not his fault the orb did not work as promised. Clark's death, while tragic, was necessary to protect the human race.

He looked up at his fireplace. There was nothing to be ashamed of.

“Are you happy now?”

“Who's there?” Lex asked, head whipping around even as he tried to ignore the fact it sounded like Clark.

Clark was gone. It was time to move on and accept it.

A slight whoosh sounded, and standing right in front of the fireplace was not the young man he had left behind, but the teenager he first met. 

“Was it worth it?”

Then the figure was gone.

 

* * *

“You haven't found him yet?” Chloe said through the door as she changed into normal clothes. She was grateful someone thought to bring along a spare set. Prison fatigues were far from stylish or comfortable.

“All we found was a stunning lack of large structures in the arctic.” She didn't need to see Oliver to know he was probably tense with arms crossed. Failure did not sit well with him. “We don't have any leads, especially since whatever happened prevented any satellite imaging.”

“The Fortress had defenses against surveillance, otherwise there would have been a lot more visitors.” Chloe stared at the door as she fixed her shirt. “Maybe you just need some Sullivan magic.”

Oliver laughed. “Alright Chloe, let's see what we can do with you on board. But be warned, Lex isn't going to be happy we broke you out.”

Chloe paused. Her voice took an icy tone. “I know. But I am not happy he managed to get away and Clark is still missing.”

“You're not alone in that.” 

 

* * *

_ The Fortress blared in alarm with large pieces of icy crystal crashing down. Clark was bleeding.  _

_ That should not have been possible. _

_ Another explosion rocked the building. The light was leaving Clark's eyes, and Lex was thrown back.  _

_ A piece of the Fortress fell on him as Clark's lifeless body flopped on the ground. _

Lex sat up and blinked away the memory. He focused on the pristine floor and the persian rug, regaining his sense of the present.

When he looked up, he saw Clark from that day. Flakes of crystal and snow dusted his hair and clothes. His shirt had a blood stain that was partly dried and frozen like a giant scab. The only difference from that day was the rage filled expression instead of a shocked and betrayed one.

Lex couldn't look the figure in the eyes. Especially when he knew there would be no life in them.  “I didn't mean to kill you. The orb was supposed to control you, make you stop your lies.”

The hallucination glared at him. “Lack of free will is only a living death.”

Lex turned to pick up a vase and throw it. Only after he let it loose did he realize the target was gone, with ceramic shards the only proof it was ever there.

 

* * *

“Chloe!” Lois bear hugged her cousin, squeezing every last bit of love into her. “You were gone, and I couldn't find you. Oliver said, but it is so good to see you.”

“Good to see you too Lo, but I need air.” Chloe unentangled herself from the hug, but held onto Lois’ arms as she teared up.

“Chloe, I also asked Oliver about Clark. Lex had the Daily Planet run an obituary.”

Chloe shook her head. “No. That has to be some game Lex is playing.”

Lois slumped in relief. “I think so too.”

“Lois, I agreed to help Oliver find Clark. You're going to as well, right?”

“Yeah. I already have everything I could find with Mr. Luthor overlooking my work. I'll forward it to Oliver.”

Chloe nodded, but her brain was in overdrive. The orb was made to control Clark. Clark had run to stop Lex from using the orb. Even if Lex was injured, he recovered and there was zero proof Lex had failed.

And saying Clark was dead was a convenient way for Lex to hide that Clark was either in his lab or a brainwashed minion.

 

* * *

Lex stared at his security footage. There was no metahuman in the vicinity who could cause this. Most of his Black Creek escapees were contained again. The cameras blinked out on occasion, and there was no evidence of superspeed. Well, none his cameras could catch.

“You never could let things go or just accept them.”

Lex turned around. It was Clark, a junior in high school wearing the same outfit he did when he walked into Lex's investigation room.

“So I should have just laid down and let you get away with your lies, and not have a right to know what was going on?”

“Had you not investigated and waited until I was graduated I would have told you. Your curiosity did not give you the right to invade my privacy and send criminals after my family.”

Lex snarled. “All you ever did was lie!”

Clark stood silent. Lex turned his head, and knew the vision was gone.

 

* * *

Lois huffed. She loved working at the Daily Planet, chasing down articles and finding new information out. It was the fact the Planet was Luthor owned that sucked the joy out of her life.

Speaking of, it was time to respond to her summoning by Lord Luthor. She strode through the doors of the office without pause.

“You wanted to see me?” She kept her voice on a low level of challenging. She wasn't going to let herself get fired before she rummaged through this office.

Lex’s smug mug boiled Lois’ blood. “It seems, Ms. Lane, you have been spending company time on investigating a closed story.”

“Closed story?”

“Clark Kent's death. While tragic, he died in a building collapse.”

Lois seethed. “Then where's the body? DNA evidence? All we have is your word, Lex, and that's not proof enough.”

“But I am still the owner of the Daily Planet. And you cannot spend company resources or time on a personal project.” 

“A personal project? More like a cover for you murdering a former friend. You won't get away with it.”

“There's nothing to find, Lois,” Lex said. “Now, I recommend leaving before your job ends up in jeopardy.”

Lois huffed, but she walked out. After all, there was nothing preventing her from writing freelance, and Lex's refusal to allow the story to be pursued meant nothing in her contract would prevent her. Daily Planet time could be dedicated to the stories of a mysterious savior.

She went to her desk, and put all her files into a case to work on at home, unaware that Lex already had all of her research copied and was planning on squeezing Jimmy for intel.

* * *

A mysterious figure left the Fortress, speeding towards Metropolis. The being picked up a shout, and headed towards a mugging. Three men grabbed a younger man, slamming his head into a wall and trying to grab his camera.

The figure responded by precisely throwing each criminal into the wall, breaking enough bones to prevent them from getting back up. Faintly, it recognized the young man from the charge’s memories.

The sound of police sirens rang. The authorities were coming and the threat was eradicated.

The figure did not feel the click of a camera was worth further consideration as it flew away northwards.

 

* * *

The banging on her door did not help Lois’ headache. Chloe was no help on Clark's last whereabouts, Lex was actively antagonistic to any mention of Clark, and everyone else was useless. She was close to figuring out a clue, but her guest had shattered her focus.

Lois pulled open the door. “Jimmy, this better be good.”

“Oh, it is better than good, it's amazing.” Jimmy held up a file with a grin.

“Is it a lead to Clark?”

He stumbled for a moment. “No, but it's still good. Last night I was saved from a mugging by a really strong guy who flew away. The image is blurry, but it proves that it happened.”

Lois picked up the image. “Huh, that's not bad. Is this the mysterious savior that's shown up in the last couple of weeks?.” She looked up at Jimmy.

Luckily, he knew where she was going. “And if we talk to this guy, maybe he can help us find Clark.”

“So let's see if this blur guy has a pattern to his saves.”

 

* * *

Chloe sat in the ISIS foundation's secret room, cursing that Lana's cameras had been destroyed. Clark could say what he wanted about invasions of privacy but those cameras had been useful.

Of course, Lex had been smart enough to put his own security on a closed system. No amount of hacking could get around the fact the cameras went to an offline computer.

She cursed again.

“Still no luck?” Oliver greeted.

“All flight records show Lex returning from the Arctic alone. No records from Black Creek remotely indicated Clark was ever kept there. According to Mrs. Kent, the government has no information on him. Any luck from the guys?”

Oliver paced. “About as much as you have. No installations hit had anything, and Vic gave their computers a thorough search.”

Neither of them said what the other was thinking. The idea that Lex was telling the truth was worse than if he'd been lying.

Oliver crossed his arms. “We do have one lead. Lex has a team out in the Arctic, digging up the snow there. It might take some preparation, but I can lead a team there to see what we can find.”

Chloe nodded. “Alright. Get me whatever hard drives and computer files you can, and I might be able to crack something.”

“It’s a deal.”

 

* * *

Lex had Lois’ research spread across his desk. There was no recorded sightings of Clark, no morgues with John Does that looked like him, and no indication his body was found.

Lex should have known, he had his team scouring the site of the collapsed Fortress. No body, but that was not a surprise when so much had collapsed. It was a miracle that he hadn't been buried as well and his men could find him.

Still, an alien body would be a valuable resource, especially considering his newest cloning project. His former friend had always wanted to help people. Even if that had been a delusion.

Lex looked up, and quashed any reaction. “You're a hallucination.”

It was the Clark who had strode in and accused Lex of setting those Belle Reve escapees after him. His shoulders were squared, his steps brimming with righteous confidence. 

“I am more real than you.”

Lex nodded, only his tight lips betraying his rage. “And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“I do not lie to myself the way you do.” 

Lex glared, fists tightening. “You just lie to everyone else!”

“You said you stopped investigating me. Though it seems you only befriended me to investigate.”

“That's not-!” But it was pointless. Lex had blinked, and the ghost of Clark Kent was gone.

That was it. He had to see if his team in the North had anything, or if they were just incompetent. 

* * *

 

Green Arrow led his team, lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike. Lex’s faithful toady Reagan was in charge of overseeing the project, and it looked like the scientists had just found something under the ice.

Green Arrow hoped Kryptonian biology allowed someone to survive impromptu freezing. If not, he could have Clark buried with proper respects rather than dissected for Lex’s madness. 

Black Canary unleashed her scream, immediately putting their opponents at a disadvantage. There was some security, but they were nowhere near prepared for Canary and Arrow, let alone Aquaman bursting through the ice.

Security disabled, they looked down to see what the scientific team had found.

It was a familiar red jacket, empty but with a blood stain on the back.

“Green Arrow…” Black Canary looked at her friend.

“Retrieve the jacket, it might have a clue to the whereabouts of the person,” Green Arrow told Aquaman. He complied, easily grabbing it.

Black Canary frowned. She knew better than to discuss it in an enemy base, but when they returned she would voice her opinion. If they found nothing by now, it was probably because there was nothing to be found.

 

* * *

 

_ “Can you hear me?” _

_ Yes, he could. He was somewhere warm and comfortable, and just nodded at the unfamiliar but grandfatherly voice. He could not move much, but it did not matter. _

_ “Good. Don't worry, it won't be long before you are ready Kal.” _

_ Those words were slightly confusing, but he didn't care as he went back under to his dreams of flying around Metropolis. _

 

* * *

Lex rubbed his forehead. His sleep had been interrupted by nightmares since the incident in the Arctic, but his ghostly visitor had made them worse. Sleep deprivation was taking its toll.

He sipped his scotch, half heartedly telling himself it might work as a nightcap in conjunction with the previous drinks. 

Lex idly picked up the lone picture of his father he still kept. It was a professional photo, showing the strong and proud Lionel Luthor leading his company to conquer the world.

He heard a whoosh, and half expected his father’s ghost to appear. Instead it was Clark, wearing that same damn outfit when he had the audacity to suggest that Lex hadn’t tried to win his father’s love.

“Here to condemn me again?” he said, rage already rising at the memory. “Blame me for how you stole my father away?”

Clark’s ghost raised an eyebrow. “So you still let your envy blind you to his manipulations.”

Lex threw something at the ghost. It turned out to be the picture, glass cracking on impact. “I know exactly what kind of man he was! But the second you lost your dad you had to take mine, and have him be just as good a father as Jonathan Kent.”

“Do you know where I received the key to your stalker room from?”

Lex rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t a stalker room.”

“Lionel Luthor thought it would prevent a key witness from testifying.”

Lex rested his head in his hand. “I don’t see what this has to do with-”

“Little over a year later, after you ruined our second attempt at friendship, Lionel Luthor knew about my Kryptonian heritage and suddenly became much more helpful and fatherly, continuously trying to get into the good graces of the Kent family. You grow jealous and do not want to apologize or make amends. After Jonathan Kent’s death, his continued presence and help means he has the good graces of a Kryptonian.”

Lex mulled it over, hazily realizing what the ghost was saying. “My father tricked me into ensuring our relationship was destroyed.”

“He could not have done it without you, Lex.”

He wanted to protest, but if there had been no investigation room then Lionel could not have given the key to Clark. If he had not let his father get to him, then maybe…

The ghost disappeared. Good. He had a lot of thinking to do.

 

* * *

Lois typed up her article on the latest action by the blur. She frowned. This person was making a difference, saving people from muggings and preventing murders and accidents. However breaking the arm of a purse snatcher seemed a bit much.

Well, this blur was cleaning up the streets and saving lives before the police arrived. Maybe it was right to have hope about them.

Still, tonight was the night. This blur seemed to mostly operate in the day, starting around sunrise and stopping activity shortly after sunset. Occasionally they would stop a crime an hour or two after dark, but there was no luck in the early AM.

Maybe they were solar powered. 

Either way, today was her day. She packed up, got in her car, and turned on her police scanner.

By the time she was at the Suicide Slums, she was ready. 

She carefully walked down the street, heading towards another building that was on her ‘to investigate’ list. It did not take long for some low lives to come out and play.

Lois stayed calm. Her army brat training would allow her to take these guys down and get away if worse came to worst. Her goal required patience though. 

There was no sign of help coming as they came closer. “Look here girlie, just hand over the purse and nobody gets hurt.”

Lois rolled her eyes. “Right, and the chances of you not lying about that are-?”

The leader snarled, and drew his knife. Right as he was about to use it, a whoosh sounded and the man was thrown across the street.

Another whoosh and the accomplices were also strewn around like rag dolls.

“Wait!” Lois counted herself lucky when she caught a bit of red and blue not far from her. “I need to ask you about a missing friend.”

She blinked, and a tall man with a yellow visor was in front of her. “You think he is in danger.”

Lois nodded. “He was last seen with someone who hates his guts, and he’s been missing for a few weeks. Nobody knows what happened.” She dug through her purse and pulled out a graduation photo Mr and Mrs. Kent got her. Lois held it up for the… no longer a blur to see. “Clark Kent. Can you find out anything?”

He studied it for a moment, and then looked back at her without a changed expression. “You are a level two relation. He is currently in a protected area, undergoing a revitalization process.” With that he whooshed away.

Lois’ eyes widened as she grinned. Clark was confirmed alive. And she had a clue about finding him.

 

* * *

Oliver walked into the ISIS Foundation office, checking to make sure none of the foundation’s patients were there. He headed over to the open console, with Chloe staring blankly at a variety of files.

“You don’t think Black Canary is right, do you?” Oliver positioned himself to better see her expression.

“No, no, of course not. You were right, Clark wouldn’t give up on us. It’s just frustrating. Even with my random intelligence upgrade I’m coming up blank.” She sighed.

“Well, intelligence doesn’t help if you’re missing a key bit of information. Which is why I’m here to tell you that I just got back from planting bugs in the Luthor mansion and setting up all the hardware to wiretap him.”

Chloe blearily smiled. “Let’s hope Lex actually does know something.”

With that she pulled up the feed from the bugs, and began searching.

Oliver shook his head. “Call me the second you have something. Actually, call the whole team if you need to.”

Chloe grunted, too consumed in her work to respond. Oliver let himself feel a smidge of hope at that.

 

* * *

Lex looked out his window, over the night garbed grounds around Luthor manor. He rubbed his eyes, still haunted by nightmares. This time his subconscious had been getting creative, incorporating his project at Cadmus as well.

Of course that forced him to reconsider every move he made, rethink every angle.  So it was no surprise that he turned around to see Clark’s ghost yet again.

The young man he once lectured about Troy was standing before him. He looked down at Lex and Lana’s wedding photo.

“Why did you marry her?”

Lex let out a laugh. So like Clark, always obsessed with Lana. “Because I loved her.”

“What about her did you love?”

“She was… Lana.” Lex pursed his lips as he thought about it. She was pretty. She was decently intelligent, and ran a coffee shop pretty well at fourteen.

Why did he give her that coffee shop?

“What about being with her made you happiest?”

The idea of a loving wife by his side. The thought that he could have everything he ever wanted, a kind and supporting family. But most importantly, “I thought I could finally have something you had.”

The ghost paused. “You wanted her because I wanted her. Especially because I wanted her when I did not want you.”

It was stated like fact, not an accusation. “Yes.”

“Did it make you happy?”

_ “You’re incapable of love, Lex.” _

He did not need to respond. The ghost once again disappeared.

 

* * *

“Hey Chloe, this is Lois. I need to talk to you in person as soon as possible, it’s about our shared project.” Lois then snapped her flip phone closed, annoyed that Chloe wasn’t immediately picking up or coming back to the apartment this instant.

Jimmy paused from looking at the files in his hand to look up at Lois. “Don’t you think we should wait for her? Or have immediately told her the news about the Blur and Clark?”

“Which I would have if she was where she was supposed to be, and in person. I can’t take any risk of Lex finding out Clark isn’t dead. And I do not think he’s above having my phone tapped.” Lois huffed, then snatched Jimmy’s notes. Luckily for Jimmy she did not notice the twinge of guilt on his face.

“Okay, but she needs to know that Clark’s not dead or being tested in some lab or something. She’s been working day and night to find him, worried about that.”

Lois frowned and nodded. “You’re right. How about this, I’ll use the information we got to retrace Clark’s last steps. You go and find Chloe, telling her everything we’ve found. Sound like a plan?”

Jimmy grinned. “A perfect one.”

As Jimmy left, Lois looked down at her notes. Clark was last seen outside the Kawatche caves. And if Lois remembered correctly, Clark had a pile of his notes on the cave at the loft in his barn.

She hated violating friend’s privacy, but this was to find Clark. As she drove the familiar path her resolve hardened as she remembered her personal rules. 

Lois made sure to only look at notes that concerned the caves. She ignored the journal with strange symbols, and found a map Clark had painstakingly made. 

With that, she headed down to the Kawatche Caves.

 

* * *

Jimmy kept his eyes peeled on the long Kansas highway. He groaned when his phone rang, but picked it up with his right hand and answered without checking the number.

“Hey, this is Jimmy.”

“Jimmy!” He stiffened at the sound of Lex’s voice. “So, you and Lois have been working on finding out about Clark. Has she found anything?”

Jimmy stammered, “No, I’ve just been asking her to help me with my research into the Kawatche caves.” He immediately winced at his terrible lying skills.

“Really? So Lois went to the caves to find information about Clark? Not surprised, he did spend a lot of time down there.”

“Excuse me Mr. Luthor, but why are you so interested in this? You wrote and ran CK’s obituary yourself.”

There was a pause, and then Lex’s entire tone of voice changed. “You forgot that Clark and I were once friends. I want his body found as much as anyone.” 

The tell tale click of an ended call resounded. Jimmy was left with his fears for the rest of the drive.

 

* * *

Chloe frowned as she looked over the video feed she got from one of Oliver’s bugs.

_ “Why did you marry her?” _

_ Lex let out a laugh. “Because I loved her.” _

She frowned. It looked like Clark, but with more of a baby face. If she had not known this feed was from last night and had not seen the contents of the conversation, she would have thought this footage was seven years old.

“Please tell me that’s a shapeshifter, not a ghost.”

Chloe flinched, surprised to hear Oliver’s voice.

“I don’t know yet. We can rule out it actually being Clark. I did a facial scan, and the features match highschool freshman Clark more than Clark in this day and age. It doesn’t make sense that he would haunt Lex but not return home or tell anyone he was okay.”

“At least it’s a lead. Think we can try to contact our imposter there?” Oliver tried to keep things light, but Chloe could see the tension in his face.

She felt it too. Having once been possessed by a dead woman, she was not one to dismiss an angry spirit. Oliver was too familiar with the strange and odd to dismiss the idea entirely.

Besides, it was highly unlikely an imposter would know enough to impersonate Clark to Lex. Those two had history, and an imposter would need Clark’s memories to pull it off.

“I’ll head out to the Luthor mansion, see if the imposter left anything behind.”

Chloe nodded numbly, watching Oliver head out. She sighed, and sifted through the footage to find anything that could knock away the aching idea of Clark being dead.

It was only an alert about someone entering the ISIS Foundation that snapped Chloe out of her stupor. She quickly hid the consol room and went into the office area. Shortly afterwards, Jimmy entered.

She must have looked terrible from the way Jimmy glanced at her. Then he smiled, and said, “I have some excellent news.”

“Lex is being prosecuted for his crimes?”

“No, you know that blur that’s been going around and saving people’s lives?”

Actually, she barely remembered Lois mentioning it. The fact she was that out of it said something.

Jimmy took her lack of response as affirmation, and continued on. “Well, Lois got a chance to ask him about Clark. And get this, he said, to quote, that Clark is ‘in a protected area, undergoing a revitalization process’. Lois is headed to the Kawatche caves to retrace Clark’s last steps, and possibly find where the blur has stashed our farm boy friend.”

Chloe’s eyes widened. The information tickled something in the back of her brain. “Jimmy, that’s amazing!” She hugged Jimmy,  and texted Oliver that Lois was at the Kawatche caves while her fiance was not paying attention.

Jimmy stiffened. “Chloe, there’s something else. Lex called me, and I tried to cover for Lois, but not well enough.”

Chloe grabbed her coat and bag. “Then we have to stop him.”

 

* * *

Lois wandered the caves, taking in the cave paintings as she consulted the map. She stopped in front of where the chamber should be, and took out the key.

“Lois! What are you doing?” Oliver was in full Green Arrow gear, despite the darkness making the shades impractical.

“Following a clue to finding Clark. If I can retrace his steps, maybe I can find out where he is.”

“Lois, I’ve already done that. We found nothing but his jacket.”

“When were you planning on telling me?”

“When I had found Clark’s body or a clue he was alive.”

Lois took a deep breath. “Right. So, yesterday, I got a chance to ask the Blur to look for Clark.”

“Lois-”

She threw up one hand. “Hey, I had luck with a vigilante like you, and the Blur seems to be on the up and up. Plus, he told me Clark was alive and safe. I just need to find out where that ‘alive and safe’ is. So,” she touched the door that led to the chamber and opened it. “I just need to follow him.”

Walking in, Lois noted the octagonal piece in the center indentation. She touched it, and the room was filled with a burst of light. Her and Oliver felt like they were flying through a swirling white and blue tunnel before they ended up in what looked like a palace of ice.

Lois involuntarily smiled. It reminded her of that dream of heaven she had during Dark Thursday.

Oliver looked around, and frowned. “All reports indicated that the Fortress of Solitude had been destroyed.”

Looking over at Oliver, Lois paused. “You’ve been here before?”

“No, but I know about it. It’s not my secret to share, though.”

Lois nodded, accepting that. She continued through the place, lightly shivering as she entered the main hall. 

There was a large statue of what looked like a man and woman holding up a planet off to the side. Her gaze was drawn to the center, where the mysterious Blur was sitting in a beam of light below a metal podlike chamber. An old man in a red cape was standing over a transparent computer screen, reading the strange symbols on it.

“Hello?” Lois called out, walking in carefully. 

“Hello there. Might I ask how you gained entrance here?” The old man turned around, smiling gently and putting Lois at ease.

“There was a chamber, I pressed something, and viola. Listen, that guy-” Lois pointed at the figure currently at rest, “-told me that my friend, Clark Kent, was somewhere safe and ‘undergoing a revitalization cycle’. I’m glad to know he’s safe, but everyone back home thinks he’s dead, and I kinda wanted to see him with my own eyes.”

The old man nodded. “Understandable. I am Val-El, and I am currently monitoring the revitalization cycle with aid from the Eradicator. It would take another three days to complete, but-”

At that moment Oliver’s fingers twitched towards his bow. Clark had filled him in on Jor-El, and the questionable decisions the AI had made before. That included the summer Clark had been brainwashed.

If he was going to face a brainwashed Clark, he needed to be prepared, and he had an arrow just for that sort of emergency.

In the energy field, the being’s red eyes opened.

The Eradicator had noticed. “Protection protocols activated. Intruders are not allowed.”

Lois backed away as the Eradicator flew towards Oliver, smashing him into a hard crystal wall. He reached for his kryptonite arrow, but had his hand smashed away before he could.

“Wait! Stop! Green Arrow wants to help Clark too, he’s not an enemy!” Lois shouted. She turned to Val-El. “Can’t you do anything?”

“I can try,” he said. “Eradicator! Stand down!” 

The Eradicator paused. “He is a threat, with a lead box potentially containing a poison lethal to the charge.”

Val-El looked over at Green Arrow. “Would you consent to removing your weapons while in this place?”

In response, he took off his quiver and place it with his bow and presented it to Val-El. Val-El pointed towards a small alcove in the crystal, and Oliver placed his weapons there. The crystal structure rapidly sealed the weapons in.

The old man smiled. “Thank you. Now, as I was trying to explain, your friend is almost healed.”

Oliver crossed his arms, gently rubbing the soreness away. “And why would you need this ‘Eradicator’ for that?”

“Why, to gather energy of course! Do you know how much yellow solar energy it takes to safely reopen a blocked thaumatic system?”

Both humans shook their head, having never heard the term.Val looked crestfallen at their ignorance. 

“A great deal. Our friend here has been gathering solar energy during the day at lower latitudes where the light is stronger, and returning here to transfer the energy and help the healing process.”

Oliver nodded, still slightly skeptical. “So he decides to wear a costume and fight crime while doing that?”

Lois and Val just looked at Oliver’s costume, then his face. Oliver had the grace to look sheepish. “Still, if his only goal was to collect energy…”

“Incorrect. My other goal was to ensure his safety while recovering, and to eradicate the threat Lex Luthor posed when my charge was healed,” the Eradicator stated.

Lois took a step back. “Eradicate- you mean kill?”

“Incorrect. My programming does not allow me to kill humans. My connection to the one you know as ‘Clark Kent’ allowed access to his memories. Physical threats would not work. Therefore psychological eradication of any motives or desire to harm were employed.”

Oliver grinned. “You’re the one who haunted Lex, pretending to be Clark’s ghost.” He nudged Lois. “I think I like this guy.”

Lois rolled her eyes. “Of course you would. But I like him too.” She turned to Val-El. “So, if Clark is on the mend, could you release him to us?”

“I think I can go home if I want to.” The pod cracked open, and Clark climbed out in a black suit with what looked like a stylized 'S’ emblazoned on it. His hair had grown out, dangling past his shoulders.

Val-El coughed. “Of course. However, you are not fully healed, physically or mentally. I need to be certain you will allow yourself to recover.”

“Smallville!” Lois ran up to him, and provided support as Clark stumbled. “I think Val here has a point.”

Clark leaned on her a bit more than strictly necessary. “Lois-”

Val stroked his beard. “I think we can come to an arrangement. If you are alright with this Green Arrow and Lois providing care?” 

Clark nodded, smiling gently at both of them.

“Then I can provide you and them with care instructions, and let you finish recuperating at home. Though I do expect you to come back for follow up care, you do not have to stay here.”

With that, Val-El walked over to a console. Some quick typing later, and two thin tablets that looked like glass popped out. The strange symbols rapidly changed to English. 

“Those tablets contain instructions, and should be fairly user friendly.”

Oliver nodded, and brushed past Val-El as he picked up the tablet. As he vaguely suspected, Val-El did not flinch or provide any give. 

“Who are you the virtual ghost of?” Oliver said in a low voice.

“Kal-El’s great great grandfather,” the hologram responded in turn. “Do not worry; the Eradicator purged all programs in the Fortress of Zod’s corruption. The Jor-El AI is repairing itself, and will function properly soon.”

Oliver relaxed, and picked up the other tablet to hand to Lois and Clark. He noted with amusement how even as Clark found his own footing, he stayed close to Lois.

“Let’s get you home boy scout.”

 

* * *

Chloe raced towards the cave, leaving Jimmy behind. As if by instinct she headed to the cave and chased Lex, remembering a similar confrontation all those years ago.

"Lex!" she shouted at the man. "Still hung up on the secrets here?"

Lex let out a quick chuckle, smirking as he turned to face Chloe. "No, these caves have lost their zeal. Especially compared to Clark. I must admit, I never thought 'alien'. Meteor freak at the oddest."

Chloe scowled. "You murdered him."

That accusation wiped the look off Lex's face. "No. I did not use a weapon against him. And he's probably still alive. Kryptonian DNA is quite hardy."

“Right, and Clark’s missing because you did absolutely nothing but have a pleasant chat with him.”

Lex bristled. “It was my destiny.”

“So you let cave walls and the babblings of eccentric rich dudes tell you what you do with your life.” Chloe marched onward, disgusted.

Lex held out an arm. “Kara told me he threatened the world before she told me Clark was the Traveler. What was I supposed to do, ignore the plight of my fellow man?”

“Kara? That was Brainiac in disguise!” Chloe saw Lex’s confusion, and clarified. “Fine? The guy responsible for Dark Thursday? But no, you believed them without any proof, details, or confirmation. Got it Lex, you’re not evil, just really gullible.” 

Lex’s nose flared and he opened his mouth to speak, but any response was cut off by a flare of bright light further in the cave.

Shortly after the light receded, Green Arrow, Lois Lane, and the missing Clark Kent walked towards the cave’s exit. 

"Clark!" Lex's shout surprised everyone, causing all heads to turn. Green Arrow stepped in front of his friend, and Lois held Clark tightly.

Lex lumbered towards Clark, and said, "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you like that. Could you ever forgive me?"

Clark felt phantom numbness in his fingers and a coldness in his gut. He remembered Lex ignoring his pleas, and Lex's face as Clark felt the life drain from him.

"No one was controlling you or forcing you. But you did it anyway. I asked for mercy, and you-" his voice cracked, and he shivered with remembered fear. "You said it was your birthright, your destiny. I can't forget that, Lex."

Lois took the unspoken signal, and walked with Clark out of the cave. Oliver could handle Lex. "You alright there Smallville?" she whispered.

The light of the yellow sun streamed down onto his face. He turned and smiled at her. "I feel fine now. But I could really use normal clothes, and a movie night with Shelby."

Lois grinned. "I think Shelby has the perfect movie picked out. Though she might want some apple pie from the Talon."

"Lead the way, Lois. I can't wait to be home."

She happily led the way to her car, wrapping a blanket around Clark's odd black bodysuit before speeding off to the Kent farm.

* * *

Green Arrow kept an eye on Lex as Lois took Clark out of the cave. He glanced over at Chloe, and roughly said, “Leave us. I think I need to have a chat with him, man to man.”

Chloe looked between them, and nodded. “No killing.” With that she crisply turned on her heels and headed out of the cave. Lex looked like he was about to head after her, but Green Arrow held out his arm.

Lex snarled. “I’m not going to be lectured by someone who tried to kill me.”

“But you have no issue demanding forgiveness from someone whose last memory was you trying to kill them.”

Lex paused. “I didn’t-”

“I don’t know the full details, but you did something that caused your former friend enough damage and pain he spent weeks in a coma recovering from it. If you actually ever cared about him, you’ll stay away and avoid contact. If you threaten him again, though?” Green Arrow unsheathed his bow. “Well, you can figure that out.”

With that, Oliver stalked out of the cave. He figured he made his point. Besides, he had a few other things to take care of.

* * *

 

Lex walked down the halls of Project Cadmus, and entered the one room that contained hope.

Upright and in a pod was the only successful subject of project KR, looking like a peaceful thirteen year old boy with baby fat slightly rounding his face. 

Lex picked up all the information on the boy, from the successful knowledge implementation to his genetic makeup. It had seemed right, to start again and make someone who would truly be a hero for humanity.

Now Lex realized how much he had messed up the first person who wanted to be humanity's hero. There was no going back now, but hopefully he could do better going forward.

This was one project he oversaw personally. He did not need any aid or other scientists to help him here. He adjusted the nutrients and mild sedative, allowing the boy to wake up as the pod cracked open.

The boy looked around, confused. He had rarely been let out of the pod when incubating, and that usually had him escorted for tests.

Lex walked over carefully. He put one hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hello young man. You know why you were originally created?"

"To protect humanity from alien threats," the boy parroted robotically. Something in Lex recoiled at that.

"Yes. But you were created with my DNA, as well as the original donor's." His thoughts shied away from his latest memory of Clark, coldly rejecting him with fear in his eyes. "This makes you my son. As such, you will be coming home with me, and receive the schooling and life you deserve, along with the options and free will. Is that agreeable?"

The boy looked down, unconsciously leaning towards Lex's warmth. "Does that mean I get a name?"

"You can choose your own, if you wish."

"...Conner. I like the name Conner." The boy looked up and immediately flinched, as if expecting punishment.

"Conner Luthor. A fine name," Lex said, bringing the boy in for a hug. "Now let's get you proper clothing."

**Author's Note:**

> Val-El is from the show 'Krypton', and yes his AI is in the Fortress since he built the Fortress. (Watch Krypton. Seriously. Do it.)
> 
> Major thanks to fire-fira on Tumblr, without them patiently listening to my fic and beta'ing this would not be half as good as it is. They also put up with my grumbling when this fic didn't cooperate. 
> 
> Other thanks to Hedgi for also giving this a go-over, despite not being too familiar with Smallville.
> 
> And yes, I'm working on a sequel. Hopefully it will be done soon.


End file.
